Samson and Delilah (2009)

Director:

Warwick Thornton

Writer:

Warwick Thornton (written by)

Release Date:

7 May 2009 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

True Love.

Plot:

Samson and Delilah's world is small- an isolated community in the Central Australian desert. When tragedy...

Plot Keywords:

Desert | Survival | Australia | Character Name In Title

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Rowan McNamara	...	Samson
Marissa Gibson	...	Delilah
Mitjili Napanangka Gibson	...	Nana
Scott Thornton	...	Gonzo
Matthew Gibson	...	Samson's Brother
Steven Brown	...	Drummer
Gregwyn Gibson	...	Bass Player
Noreen Robertson Nampijinpa	...	Fighting Woman
Kenrick Martin	...	Wheelchair Boy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Bartlett	...	Storekeeper
Patricia Rigby	...	Waitress

Also Known As:

Samson & Delilah (Australia)

Runtime:

Australia:101 min | Australia:100 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

Aboriginal | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Company:

CAAMA Productions

Trivia:

Australia's official submission to 82nd Academy Award's Foreign Language in 2010.

A magnificent allegory

One goes to a drama to suspend disbelief. Whether you are a believer or sceptic, Samson and Delilah is different. This is true realism, the director establishing time in a truly cinematic way. The beginning is slow, with the utter boredom of the characters shown by the repetition of scenes in which nothing changes. Later in the film a very subtle sequence shows the lapse of time by the change from a full moon to a crescent. Other viewers seem to have misinterpreted this sequence. This is true cinema. Samson is a petrol sniffer. In a community where there is no work, no commercial entertainment, and no fun, Samson and his brothers try to amuse themselves. The result is violent, but funny. Delilah is learning to paint with the help of her grandmother. Painting is a valuable source of income to the Australian aboriginal. They say: 'You whitefellers have to go to school to learn art; we know, in here.' Australian film makers have an enviable reputation for documentary. This is a documentary with a story. We now have a tradition in photography, cinematography and the graphic arts, particularly amongst Aboriginal women, that is very significant. It is no surprise that the Aboriginal woman has brought new weight to feminism. In Samson and Delilah, Delilah finishes up with the power. She controls the gadgetry - and the psychology.

We don't need to be told that Samson thought Delilah was dead. He is shown inspecting the skid mark. This movie is so full of these subtle hints. So Delilah appears with her hair 'done.' Well, she'd been in hospital for two weeks, hadn't she?